[Light Screen]
[We will not dwell too much on the civil officials, as many will be discussed in later videos. Next, let us proceed to the main hall.
You can't visit the Martial Marquis Shrine without paying your respects to the big boss, Liu Bei, right?
The Main Hall of the Zhaolie Temple is the centerpiece, flanked and protected by those two galleries of heroes we just saw.
In the dead center of the hall, you have the grand statue of the Zhaolie Emperor, Liu Bei. To his right sits the statue of the Prince of Beidi, Liu Chen.
And to his left... sits a literal piece of rotten wood]
Rotten wood?
On one side Liu Chen, on the other a piece of rotten wood? Liu Bei's heart gave a sudden jolt, and a conjecture had already formed.
Yet he forced himself not to dwell on that possibility for the moment, because within the Light Screen, this Wen Mang was already speaking with rising and falling cadence.
[Light Screen]
[Since this is the principal shrine of Emperor Zhaolie, we might as well proceed according to seniority.
First, we pay homage to Emperor Zhaolie!]
Everyone saw that young man within the Light Screen appear. On the screen, the young man appeared. The usual playful banter was gone, replaced by a look of deep reverence he clasped his hands and bowed before Liu Bei's statue.
And he was not alone. Many visitors did the same, some clasping hands, some pressing palms together, none making noise, none running about, all offering this ruler of Shu Han a quiet and dignified respect.
Amid this stillness, Wen Mang's voice sounded again:
[Light Screen]
[We have already introduced Emperor Zhaolie many times, and I believe that from the Oath of the Peach Garden to the Entrustment at Baidi, most of you are more familiar with him than I am.
So, our next protagonist is the Huai Emperor of Shu Han: Liu Shan.
However, it is rather unfortunate that today there is no statue of A-Dou here, only a section of rotten wood.
It seems to say nothing, yet it also seems to say everything.]
Liu Bei and his ministers silently gazed at that section of decayed wood.
Was this the silent judgment of the future? A piece of dead wood representing A-Dou, the sovereign of Shu Han?
And his posthumous title was "Huai." Even though Liu Bei had not studied posthumous titles in depth, he still knew that the one who drove Qu Yuan to death had been King Huai of Chu.
What sort of good title could that be?
And rotten wood, who would not understand its meaning? Everyone knew the Analects: "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dung cannot be plastered."
Likely, out of respect for Zhaolie temple, the people of the future hadn't literally built a wall of dung.
[Light Screen]
[Let us begin with this piece of rotten wood. In the earliest times, the Zhaolie Temple did have a statue of Liu Shan.
There's an argument that his surrender saved the people of Chengdu from a massacre, which was a huge service. In fact, the locals actually respected him for a long time.
But history tells a different story. In the Tang Dynasty, the "Poet Sage" Du Fu wrote in Ascending the Heights: "Pity the Late Lord still has a shrine," which proves Adou's statue had been kicked out at least once before the Tang era.
After being brought back during the Tang, in the Qingli period of the Northern Song, the Prefect of Yizhou, responding to public sentiment, cast Liu Shan out again.
In the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song, Liu Shan's statue was once more invited back, but when the Zhaolie Temple was restored in the Ming, the people of Chengdu cast him out yet again.
The people were worried Liu Bei would be lonely, so they invited the Prince of Beidi, Liu Chen, into the temple to keep him company instead. That's how we got the layout we see today.
In ancient times, emperors did the 'Three Refusals' before taking the throne. Adou managed his own version at the Zhaolie Temple: Three Ejections and Two Invitations., yet in the end still failed to remain.]
Even coming and going could become this complicated?
Liu Bei could not help but smile wryly, yet he also understood how unwelcome his son must have been.
Each time it was officials who brought him back, and each time the people drove him out again.
But why was Liu Chen specifically invited to accompany him? Liu Bei turned his gaze toward the statue of this grandson.
[Light Screen]
[Just like this pattern of thrice cast out and twice invited, the controversy surrounding Liu Shan himself has never subsided to this day.
But some things are facts. For instance, Liu Shan strictly followed Kongming's Memorial on the Expedition (Chu Shi Biao). Whoever was recommended therein, whether general or minister, Adou used them.
Under those conditions, the government actually ran quite decently. For example, during the Wei Yan crisis after the Prime Minister's passed away, Adou fully consulted Jiang Wan and Dong Yun before making a move.]
What exactly is in this 'Chu Shi Biao'? Everyone was dying to know.
Among the fourteen generals, some even noted the name Xiang Chong, who was mentioned in that memorial.
The list of fourteen generals had specifically mentioned that Xiang Chong was praised in this document. Earlier "chat" comments from the future had lamented about "continuing the Chu Shi Biao." What kind of writing was this?
Could a single memorial truly govern the state of Shu?
Faced with their curiosity, Kongming could only shake his head. He was Zhuge Liang, Military Advisor General, not the Chancellor Zhuge Kongming of this later age.
[Light Screen]
[But after Fei Yi was assassinated, the pool of talent from the 'Chu Shi Biao' was completely exhausted. Liu Shan then began to favor the eunuch Huang Hao, and from this arose the root of disaster.
Chen Shou, the author of the Records of the Three Kingdoms, out of personal grievance, described the Director of the Secretariat, Chen Zhi, as "above following the ruler's intent, below associating with eunuchs," and the Right General Yan Yu as "colluding with Huang Hao."
In the sixth year of Jingyao, 263, Jiang Wei discovered Zhong Hui was training troops in the Guanzhong region. He sent an urgent report to Liu Shan, suggesting they mobilize and prepare.
But... 'Huang Hao believed in ghosts and shamans, claiming the enemy would never arrive. He convinced the Late Lord to shelve the report, and the ministers were kept in the dark.'
Huang Hao found a few fortune-tellers who said everything was fine, so Adou chilled out and didn't even tell his advisors.
Then there's the famous war god Luo Xian. After the fall of Shu, he held a lone city against Wu for six months. A man of that caliber had been demoted and sidelined simply because he wouldn't suck up to Huang Hao.]
So the state of Shu truly relied upon a single Memorial on the Expedition?
Liu Bei's anger was already rising. He had believed himself prepared for whatever incompetence his son might display.
But "favoring eunuchs"? The fury started to boil. And "trusting shamans... kept ministers in the dark"? Xuande felt the world spin. His vision went black, and his knees buckled.
Zhuge Liang, reminded by Huang Yueying, had already moved together with Zhao Yun to support him from both sides.
"You little brat! How dare you!" Xuande roared as he recovered, his voice cracking. "The disaster of the Ten Eunuchs was only a few decades ago! Do you want to repeat the same bloody history?!"
Yet no matter how Liu Bei raged, he knew he could not interfere with what had already occurred in that other time. He could only shut his eyes in anguish.
Seeing Liu Bei lying as though lifeless, Zhang Fei hurried forward and suggested:
"Brother, how about I take Adou to the military camp tonight for some... 'special training'?"
"What's the point!" Xuande replied, his mind terrifyingly sharp despite the pain. "He isn't just wicked; he's utterly incompetent!"
"First he leaned on Kongming, then he leaned on the Four Chancellors! The moment they were gone, he fell for eunuchs and shamans! In the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, there has never been such a ruler!"
These words were exceedingly harsh. Zhang Fei was alarmed.
"Brother, Adou is still a kid..."
"Indeed, Elder Brother, A-Dou is but four years old. It is not impossible to guide him to emulate the High Ancestor and Emperor Wu of Han," Guan Yu also urged.
Xuande waved them off, looking exhausted. "I'm fine... wait, what's the Light Screen playing now?"
Yide leaned in and whispered, "The screen says it's a future art form called 'Jingyun Dagu' [Beijing Drum Song]. This segment is called 'The Baidi City Regency'."
"It seems to be similar to the plays we have now. Later scholars composed lyrics for it. It sounds rather pleasing."
"Do not speak. Let me listen." Liu Bei steadied himself.
At this moment, the hall was rarely so quiet. In that stillness, the drawn-out singing entered Liu Bei's ears:
[…Little A-Dou kneels before the bed, two streams of tears falling..]
Liu Bei smiled faintly to himself. On the map, Baidi City lay far from Chengdu. How could Adou have made it there for the final farewell?
[Light Screen]
[…As your father, I have a few final words you must heed… empire wasn't built by just us, father and son. but forged through the blood, sweat, and stratagems of all the civil and military officials.
Starting a business is hard, but keeping it alive is harder... You are ignorant, and must heed instruction. Entrust all military and state affairs to the old master Zhuge…]
Ah, these words were indeed true. The Han realm had never belonged to Liu Bei alone. So many heroes, even the strategist himself, had come for the sake of restoring the Han.
Starting is hard, keeping it alive is harder. Only after a lifetime of wandering had he understood the hardship of founding, and only upon learning of A-Dou's future did he understand the greater hardship of preserving.
[Light Screen]
[…Do not bring shame upon the bond of brotherhood between your two uncles and me.
Whether in good times or ill, you must cherish Guan Xing and Zhang Bao even more…
If while you live you find no meaning, then your life is nothing,
and Zhao Zilong's deeds at Changban would have been in vain!…]
The tears finally broke past Xuande's tightly shut eyelids, streaming down his face.
Adou went in and out of the enemy lines seven times at Changban Slope. In the Zhaolie Temple, he went in and out five times between ejections and invitations. A total of nine, the number of an Emperor. What a destiny.